Because in today's business reality many people prefer to spend more time at home and cook their own food, the demand for easy-to-prepare processed seafood has grown.
At a global level, changes in consumer behavior have been reported, because of the quarantines decreed in several countries of the world by the outbreak of covid-19, people's habits, tastes and preferences have been changing.
From January to March 2020, companies from Central American countries exported frozen shrimp and prawns for $60 million, and sales to Taiwan grew by 56% compared to the same period in 2019.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
During the first month of the year, Nicaraguan seafood exports totaled $16.7 million, 19% less than what was reported in the same month in 2019, a situation explained by the decline in demand from Asia and the U.S., important destinations for this sector.
According to data from the Center for Export Processing (Cetrex), between January 2019 and the same month of 2020 exports of seafood products recorded a fall of $ 4 million, from $ 16.7 million to $ 20.7 million.
In the first nine months of last year, Central American countries exported frozen shrimp and prawns for $321 million, 17% more than in the same period in 2017.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
In the first half of the year, Central American countries exported frozen shrimp and prawns for $207 million, 53% more than during the same period in 2017.
Figures from the information system on the frozen shrimp and prawns market in Central America complied by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
In the first quarter of the year, companies in the country exported $32 million worth of frozen shrimp and langoustine, registering a 64% increase with respect to exports in the same period in 2017.
Figures from the information system on theFrozen Shrimp and Langoustine Market in Nicaragua, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
In the first quarter of the year, Central American countries exported $90 million worth of frozen shrimp and langoustine, which is 76% more than in the same period in 2017, mainly due to sales to the US and Taiwan.
Figures from the information system on the Market for Frozen Shrimp and Langoustine in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
Between January and March, sales abroad totaled $16 million, which is equivalent to an 86% increase with respect to exports registered in the same period in 2017.
The increase registered during the first months of the year is explained by an increase in the volume sold coupled with an increase in the average price, which rose from $4.1 per kilogram recorded in the first quarter of 2017, to $6 per kg reported in the same 2018 period.
In 2017, the value of Central American sales of fish, molluscs and crustaceans to companies in Mexico amounted to $69 million, 19% more than was exported in 2016.
Figures from the information system on the the Market for Fish, Molluscs and Crustaceans in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
Between January and September of 2017, Central American countries exported $275 million worth of frozen shrimp and langoustine, 22% more than in the same period in 2016.
Figures from the information system on the Market for Shrimp and Frozen Langoustine in CentralAmerica compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graph"]